Adjustable tongue.



No. 852,607. PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

J. T. KBTGHLBDGE.

ADJUSTABLE TONGUE. ArPLIqATIou FILED NOV. 7, 1 06.

WITNESSES: NVENTOR.

' A TTORNE Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI OEG JAMES T. KETOIILEDGE, OF TUN KHAN NOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

ADJUSTABLE TONGUE.

No. 852,607. Q

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JAMES T. KETGHLEDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tunkhannock, in the county of Wyoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Tongue, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable vehicle tongues and more particularly to adjustable means for connecting the tongues to vehicles.

The invention relates to devices of this character utilizing a cross arm having inwardly extending guide bars on which thill irons are adj ustably mounted. It has been found in practice where irons are connected to guide bars in this manner more or less vertical and lateral play results for the reason that it becomes impossible to produce thill irons which will fit snugly upon the guide bars and not play thereon and which are at the same time readily adjustable.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the thill iron can be moved to any desired position upon the guide bar and can be locked in such position without danger of rattling or moving independently of the guide bar.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of the cross arm of the vehicle pole or tongue and showing a thill iron connected thereto; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the connection between the thill iron and the guide bar.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 is a bowed cross arm having a pole or tongue 2 extending therefrom and reinforced by draw bars 3 only one of which has been shown in the present case. Each draw bar is secured to the pole and cross arm and its rear end overlaps the end of the cross arm and terminates in a guide arm preferably rectangular in cross section and which extends inwardly from the end of the cross arm preferably on a line at right angles to the tongue or pole 2. A stay rod 5 isbolted to the rear face of the cross arm and has an angular eye 6 at its rear end which fits over an extension 7 formed at the free end of the guide arm and on which a nut 8 is mounted.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

Application filed November '7, 1906. Serial No. 342,384.

A groove 9 is formed longitudinally in the rear face of the guide bar and has its inner or bottom surface concave as shown particularly in Fig. 2. A curved thill iron 10 is disposed in rear of the guide bar and has an angular sleeve 11 formed with an aperture 12 through which the guide bar 4 is adapted to project. An eye 13 is arranged at the rear end of the thill iron to facilitate its attachment to a vehicle. A set screw 14 extends through one end of the thill iron and the sleeve 11 and has its inner end rounded as shown at 15 so as to fit snugly within the groove 9 and prevent the sleeve from moving transversely of the groove after the set screw has once been firmly seated therein.

The groove 9 and the rounded, end 15 of the set screw 14 constitute the important features of the present invention. As heretofore stated it has been found in constructions of this character that it is practically impossible to so proportion the opening 12 and the bar 4 as to absolutely prevent a certain amount of play and, when an ordinary set screw is utilized for clamping the parts in position the vertical as well as the horizontal strain to which the ironis subjected soon works the parts loose and causes a more or less independent movement thereof. I have found that by utilizing a groove which is con cave in cross section and a set screw having a rounded end adapted to fit snugly within the groove, the sleeve is caused to center upon the guide bar and no matter what the difference is in transverse area between the guide bar and the opening 12 there will be absolutely no independent movement of the sleeve and guide bar after the set screw has once been firmly seated within the groove.

The invention is very simple but is con sidered of vast importance in this art in view of the advantages resulting from the use thereof.

The preferred form of the invention has been set forth in the foregoing description but I do not limit myself thereto as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes asfairly fall within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tongue and a cross arm; of a draw bar secured to the tongue and cross arm, said draw bar extending to the end of the cross arm, a guide bar integral with one end of the draw bar and eX- tending inward from the end of the cross arm, said guide bar having a longitudinal connecting one end of the bar with the cross arm, a thill iron, a sleeve integral therewith and adjustably mounted upon the guide bar, said bar having a longitudinal groove in its rear face provided with a concaved wall, and a set screw within the sleeve and having a rounded end adapted to be seated within the groove and to center the sleeveu on the bar.

In testimony that I claim the oregoing as my own, I have hereto a'lfixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

. JAS. T. KETOHLEDGE.

Witnesses:

MAsoN STARK, W. J. BONNER, Jr. 

